My country is at a pivotal crossroads. We Israelis – Jews and Arabs – have made great strides in strengthening relations between our two communities. Still, the impact of October 7, 2023, and the ensuing war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, on Jewish-Arab relations in Israel is palpable. The multifront war has challenged in unprecedented circumstances how we view one another.
Givat Haviva’s annual survey earlier this year found 72% of Israeli Jews do not trust the majority of Arab citizens, while 43% of Israeli Arabs do not trust the majority of Jewish citizens.
Yet the foundation for a shared society remains intact. The fact that Israel’s Arab and Jewish citizens recognize they are fated to be together and want to continue finding ways to better Israeli society is reflected in the lack of intercommunal violence since October 7 that exploded during the last Hamas-Israel clash in May 2021.Read Michal’s article in the Jerusalem Post here